Viridian’s Stories
by jttaylorbat
Summary: This is an antholgy series. There will ne some interconnection between chapters, but on the whole, the chapters will be there own individual short stories. Each will follow Viridian handling a different problem. Enjoy!
1. Prolouge

Prologue 

Viridian's life started as many young boys lives do, being born. The only difference his birth may have had, is that his was a C section. He cried in much the same way that all children do when first exposed to the air. Though later in life he will claim the reason for his tears at birth was due to his being interrupted during a high stakes game of online poker. Whether he truly was in the middle of a high stakes game of poker inside his mother's womb or not is up in the air (he wasn't).

A mere nine months after his birth he took his first step. It's been said that this step was towards the beer his father had been drinking ten minutes before. This is also questionable because he could have walked in any direction and found a beer bottle.

By the age of five he'd taken to hiding in his room in order to avoid his mother's wrath. In there he became what he'd always meant to become: the best gambler around. He also taught himself how to count cards, throw anything with near perfect aim, pickpockets, steal watches off of wrists, and just about any other sleight of hand trick you can think of.

At the age of eight he'd learned the art of bo staff fighting. Something he'd learned for when the beatings from his mother had gotten to far and he wanted a way out. He'd been unable to take it though, and his life continued for another four years before he finally ran away from his home.

His story is a long one, of late night gambling, running from crime lords, and just general mayhem. Viridian has run into them all, alive and dead. Missing and forgotten. He's got many stories. So why don't we let him tell us a few of them? Starting with the one about Junior.

_Author Notes: Below is a timeline for the stories. I hope you enjoyed. _

_RWBY VERSE TIME LINE _

_AZURE BEACON YEARS (SZAM Vs Noir, then the war, minus all Komodo aspects. Viridian is not involved at all, and replacing the Cardinals with the Suro, Percy is replaced by Mercer. Mercer is similarly shy, but earns to be a writer. Partway through their second year he becomes a published writer.)_

_Four year time gap. Parts of this story take place here. _

_After the time Azure meets back up with Silvia and they start cleaning up Vale after Vol 3 of RWBY. Azure becomes well known during this time and he does several high profile jobs in other parts of the world (Silvia, Viridian, and Alcatraz also take part in several of these jobs). It's revealed he was the Dragon. The crimes committed under the name of the Dragon are rebranded by the press to be acts of heroism and justice. The story MANY WORLDS OF RWBY takes place at the end of this six year time frame. _

_THE LONE DRAGON takes place a year and a half later. _


	2. Chapter One

Chapter 1: Senior Was Better 

I love telling stories. People always say "Viridian you tell the best stories!" Which is obviously a no brainer! I have the most interesting life. A card shark from a young age, and a trillion more things have happened. As a matter of fact, let me tell you about one featuring an old friend of mine.

* * *

"We aren't friends Viridian!" Junior snarled. Immediately I made a pouty face. I would have sworn we were. And I told him just that.

"I swear we're friends Junior! I was at your daughters funeral!" I said. However Junior didn't respond with a positive smile. Instead he continued to wear his usual frown. The burly man wore a dress shirt and vest.

"I don't have a daughter! And if we were friends, you wouldn't be tied up right now." He growled. I looked down at the rope currently binding me. I suppose the man has a point. I am in a rather precarious position.

I tilt my head up slightly, showing what I like to think of as a charming smile. "I thought you were being kinky."

A fist flew in from the right and decked my right across the face. The chair I'm tied to slides a little, pain flaring from where I was struck. I'm going to take this moment and inform you, I don't like being punched. However unfortunately it really is a job hazard.

"You gotta be more careful Vir." A voice whispered in my ear. The voice belonged to Azure Požar. At that time we were together. He's a real pain in the ass.

I spit blood out at Junior. "Your guys need to learn how to punch."

"You're literally bleeding." Junior snapped. And honestly, he's got a good point. "Now to the point, where's my money?" Hey we both said the word point. Or more actually I thought it and he said it. But good enough for me.

"What money?" I asked, playing innocent.

"You can't play innocent you idiot!" Azure muttered over the come. How rude of him.

Junior takes a step towards me. "You can't play innocent!" And apparently Azure is right. I hate it when that happens. "I know you stole the ten thousand from me!"

"I'm not a thief!" I protested. I knew full well that I'd totally stolen the money. But I need just a little more.

"Now I know you're lying, because I stole the money from Frost! So I'd put a tracker on it!" He did do that, and we disabled it. "And then you disabled it. But not before I saw it leave."

"Got it," Azure said. "Now get out."

I gasped dramatically, stalling slightly. "You stole the money from who?"

Junior examined me and nodded. "Okay we're done here, take out the trash girls." I looked around his shoulder and my stomach dropped. A set of pretty twin girls were sauntering towards me.

"Well girls," I muttered. "I hate to cut this short, but I've got an important date." I sent a small corse of energy through my arms, and the chains that had been binding my fell apart. I stood swiftly, and adjusted my tie. "Do we really have to do this dearies?"

Azure chuckled over the com link. "You need help?"

"Well babe, I think I can handle them."

"Junior has your staff." Azure reminded me. Oh damn he's right! Why does this keep happening?

"Okay fine." I grumbled. I heard a small chuckle.

"Then keep them busy for a few seconds." He commanded. Bossy bossy. I think I can do that though.

The run at me, the twins mirrored each other, one using clawed gauntlets to attack, the other using spiked heels. I didn't fight back, without my weapons, there's little point. Instead I went entirely on the defense. They didn't land a single blow. I ducked and weaved around their strikes, eventually making it through and slide across the dance floor.

"Girls I'm spoken for, can we have a rain check?" I quipped.

The responded with identical smiles. "Can someone else vouch for that pretty boy?"

"Yeah, me." A husky voice said. The twins spin around, and low and behold, Azure Požar stood, gunsword at the ready.

They exchange looks and charged him instead. But he's faster. He gets between them, his blade flashed around him. Azure moved faster then even my eye could catch, which suited him just fine. It's why he could fight so many people at one time. In fact, he managed to fight so fiercely, he put both of them on the defensive.

I however have bigger fish to fry, so I'll let Azure handle them. I looked around, and across the room I saw Junior, four men with swords in front him. I don't prefer fighting, but I guess I'll have to do what I don't want to.

I patted my pockets down, locating several stray cards. I fan them out, and count them up. Ten cards. That'd be enough for each of his goons to get one and have six left over for the big guy.

A small explosion draws my attention. I glance behind me, and see Azure flying high over head, firing down on the twins. I turned back to Junior, and having stuck my hands in my pockets, strolled over.

"Alright let's continue our chat Junior!"

Junior stuck his middle finger up, which really hurt my feelings. "They'll beat your friend, and then you!" I turn once again, and look at Azure. The blue and black blur, moving like a demon possessed around the sisters.

"Right, and I'm taking first place on The Voice!" I said, I roll four cards into my hand, charging them just a little bit. "You really need to invest in better security."

"What do you mean?"

I flick my wrist, and four cards fly out. Each tagging a different guard. They explode slightly when they do, sending them sprawling. "I hope you offer a medical plan."

"You already have my money, what more do you want?" Junior growled as he took a full step backward.

"Well Frost would love to hear that recording, but I'm sure he'd love to talk to you in person even more."

Junior bared his teeth. "You're a good guy, you wouldn't do that."

"Good guy? That's the Dragon!"

Junior paled as he's eyes followed Azure across the room. The twins had managed to disarm him (or he'd tossed it aside to make it more interesting) and he was going hand to hand with them, along with the five guards that had joined the twins in their attempt.

"You're lying, the Dragon disappeared!"

I rolled my eyes. "He just changed his name is all." A moment passed where Junior didn't move then he narrowed his eyes. And from behind him he lifted a bazooka and aimed it at me.

"You're not the Dragon though." He snarled.

"I'm really tired of people pointing things out to me today." I muttered. I flip a card into my hand, charge it and throw it. I didn't wait to see it hit, instead I turned and ran full tilt away. An explosion told me I intercepted the first rocket, but that won't stall him for long. I turn and see him already firing again, this time the rockets come out as a spread. I drop my gaze and scan the floor. I spot the DJ table and made a dash for it. If I'm going to die, I just have to listen to my music. I skidded up to it, and jump behind it, just as all the rockets connect, and blow the table apart.

"Now Junior, do we have to talk about how to run a well oiled business?" I stood, grabbing debris from the floor. "You can destroy your own stuff."

"You won't take me to Frost!" He's right of course. The plan was to take him to authorities after getting him to confess to the left. As a matter of fact, they hired us for the job, and we'd already retrieved the money. They wanted the man as well. Now though, he didn't need to know that.

"I'll be doing whatever I want!"

One of his guards fly between us and crashed head first into a wall. "Will you? Let's talk strategy. Either you stand down now, or Azure over there finishes playing with your men, and helps me take you in."

"You think you're so smart? I could just blow you up!"

"Is that your best plan dear?"

Junior once again gave the fight happening in his club a lengthy look. "Why not option B?"

"Your secret passage?" I asked with a smirk.

Junior who'd clearly been preparing to run freezes. "What?"

"Yes about that, I located it and disabled it," I said. The look one his face was absolutely worth the struggle it had been to locate the best place for a secret passage. Junior looked like a lost puppy. However that was quickly replaced with furry. He instead sprinted at me, turning the bazooka into a oversized bat.

I flipped backwards, avoiding his swing. "Overcompensating for something?" I ducked as he sent another swing my way. "Because that bat is far to large." I rolled free of his range, and flip one of my five remaining cards back at him. He deflects it, the bat taking the brunt of the explosion. He spun the bat around, and slammed it towards me. I flip away, and it breaks apart if the ground where I was. I scoop the rubble out of my pocket, and throw it at him, temporarily blinding him.

"Bastard!"

"No I just hated my dad!" I snapped back. I stepped onto the bat, and use it to kick his chest. He stumbled free and away from the bat. He fumbled around until he found me and grabbed my vest. "No touchy." I flick his nose and he howled. Then I stamp on his foot, followed by a knee to the groin. This sent him reeling around the room, holding onto his little J. "Might want some ice for that."

"You talk more than me, and that's saying something." Azure said from behind me. I turn and shrugged.

"Fights are so dull, how else will I keep my attention up." I countered. Azure didn't have a response and instead pulled out a knife.

"Either way, let's finish this." I saw something in his eye, and I grabbed his arm.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

Azure pointed at Junior, now laying on the ground crying. "We kill him."

"Oh hell no, not happening."

Azure stepped toward me. "I've had this conversation to many times to count, these people are better off dead."

"If you keep having this conversation don't you think people don't agree with you?"

Azure shook his head. "No, people just don't understand what needs to be done."

"Are you saying I don't understand?" I asked.

"You don't," he said. "You haven't lived in this the way I have."

"You're trauma doesn't invalidate everyone else's lives!" I said, I could hear my voice raising. That's some bullshit I'm not letting slide.

Azure shook his head, something like disappointment on his face. "I'm not talking about my trauma! I'm talking about the life I've lived! It's shown me how cruel these people are."

"He deserves a trial." I argued back. Which is funny from me, because all I do is only vaguely legal. Azure clearly didn't agree because he turned away from me. I didn't have to try and stop him, because he stopped moving immediately. I followed his burning eyes, and saw what he saw. Or to be more specific, what he didn't see.

"Well Viridian I hope you're happy." Azure growled. "Now we have to start all over."

"I wouldn't say happy, but I'm not disappointed."

* * *

What's worse than a carefully laid out plan failing because you are your significant other get into an argument? That same argument being continued when you've gone all the way back to your place. What's worse than that? Your significant other suggesting you spar (psychical activity, yuk) while you work through the problem. And the final layer on that shit fest? Your significant other is a professional assassin (or huntsman if you ask the media, he's becoming very famous) who could take on about ten of you without breaking a sweat.

"Faster Vir!" He snapped, tagging the back of my leg with his stick.

I stumbled forward, and groaned loudly. "I hate this."

"Well when I let the bad guy go, you can decide what we do!" Azure cracked at me. I spun around, lashing out with my left baton. He blocked it, with his and struck down with the other. I just managed to get my other one between me and his strike.

"You were going to kill him!" I snapped. "I had to stop you."

"He's literally a crime lord!" Azure said, and shoved me away. A flick of his wrist, and one second his baton is in his hand, the next it's connecting with my forehead. A burst of stars cloud my vision, and the next thing I know, I'm being knocked on my ass. "He would have deserved what he'd gotten."

"I've told you I don't support murder." I said, struggling to my feet. Luckily for this spar I'd forgone my normal suit and tie, for sweats. Otherwise Azure would be buying me a new suit.

"It's not murder, someone like him would get out of jail immediately!"

I jab my stick at him (could've phrased that one better). "Then people like us put him back in jail."

"And it becomes a loop!" Azure threw his hands up, letting the batons fall to the floor. There's a moment, and he tilted his head while he gave me an intense stare. "You know I've killed a lot of people, why do you even stick around?"

I decided on the spot that honesty is my best bet. "I like to think you've changed."

"Changed, really? You know why I left my last team."

"Yes I do, and that wasn't your fault. A little mind control messes up anybody." I said.

"Vir, I haven't changed." He said, his voice soft.

I licked my lips as I eyed the man in front of me. "It'd be nice if you did."

"Why?" He asked. "So I fit your version of good?"

"I'm not good!" I countered. He just rolled his eyes though. "But you aren't in the right here!"

"There is no right Vir!" Azure said, then without warning he kicked my chest. I fly back, my entire body hurting. I roll, avoiding a second kick, and catch a third.

"There is a right and a wrong Z!" I growled. I scooped my stick from the floor and flung it at him. He deflected it off the side of his. "And the wrong is killing!"

He took a slow calculated step forward. "Not everything is that simple! These people I kill will kill or harm others!"

"So that justifies murder?" I cried. He didn't see what was so obvious. He never did.

"Wanted Dead or Alive! That's what the posters say!"

I took my own step forward, closing the distance between us. "Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's okay!"

"If I don't do it, someone else will, and I don't trust anyone else!"

"Do you trust me?" I asked. He sighed and took my hand.

"Of course I trust you, but you aren't willing to do it." He said.

Neither of us said anything, until finally I couldn't take it, and snatched my hand away. "Z you were raised as a killer, don't you want to be more than that?"

"I am, haven't you seen the news?" He asked, gesturing to the far room where the TV sat. I knew he was referring to the reports about an unnamed hero huntsman single handedly tearing down the criminal underworld.

"They may be labeling you a hero, but is that really what you are?"

Something shifted behind his face and he took a step away from me. "I am who I am."

"That sounds like an excuse to do what you want." I said. Azure sized me up, his eyes hard.

"I was a monster, who wanted to do the right thing. Now I'm my own person, and I'm going to do the right thing."

I shook my head. "You'll do what you think is the right thing!"

"I'm going to save people!"

"From what?"

"Everything!" He bellowed. Another silence fell. Azure's chest rose and fell rapidly. Finally he stormed out of the room. Leaving nothing but ringing filling the room.

Two hours later the two of us sat down together for dinner. The dinner table is just as tense as the training room. Neither of us speak as we eat. In fact it had been Azure's turn to make dinner, but didn't, so I was forced to ordered out. Which is just absolutely subpar to homemade food.

Now normally we'd have plenty of small talk. All sorts of shit. He would tell me about his old team. It was this girl named Silvia, a boy named Mercer, and another boy named Mathew. Mathew died when Silvia and his people had gone to war. It really tore at the team, but when a new guy came in named Alcatraz everything seemed to go back to normal. Then a horror struck vale, and Azure along with every other person with a prosthetic went on a rampage. Azure being who he was, kill too many people. It destroyed him, and he left.

Honestly I should've known better, going after how people saw him. All he's wanted since he was a child was to be a hero, who saved people. And he's finally earned it, even if the people don't know it's him. I just don't agree with his methods.

"I'm sorry." I offered. Azure looked up slightly and after a moment tossed aside his fork.

"I'm not a hero, don't worry, I know that." He said.

I scratched my chin, and set down my own fork. "You could be still."

"At thirteen I left Noir. I'd been with him for five years. In that time I learned what it meant to be good and bad. Little did I know, all of that was wrong. I spent the next two years of my life hunting him down and rooting him out. I destroyed his organization, but lost so many people. Was I a hero then? I lost people in an attempt to kill him. Failed attempts. Both times. Is that what a hero does?"

"But you got him, in the end." I offered.

Azure nodded, and rubbed his long brown hair from his face. "By killing. All of my problems are solved by killing."

"They don't have to be though! Look at Miss. Xander, you took her down without killing her." I said. But he just shook his head. I figured he'd face something.

"That wasn't me! That was a friend. I was busy failing to kill Noir as three more of my friends died." God damn Azure's life really did suck didn't it? He definitely should have gotten some counseling.

"But Azure, killing has caused all of your lives problems!"

Azure started ticking off on his fingers. "Noir is dead, problem solved. The Suro clan dead, problem solved. All the rapists I killed, problem solved. The terrorists, mass murderers, spree killers, serial killers, all of them aren't problems for anyone ever again. And they don't have the chance to be!"

"And Junior deserves this treatment?" I questioned. Junior is a no one, in the grand scheme of things he's barely a rook.

"Don't underestimate Junior. He's one of the few remaining crime lords out there."

I scoffed, not able to hold it in at all. "Junior, really?"

"He sells guns, and he hires out his men to do petty crimes!"

"So you're going to kill him? He's mostly an info guy!"

He shook his head, and pushed himself to his feet. "By clearing the board the way I have of people, I've left a power vacuum, eventually he'll step up!"

"So let me get this straight. You're going to kill him for crimes he hasn't even committed yet?" I asked. I could barely believe the words that had come out of his mouth. There's just no way he actually believed the things he was saying.

"He's done enough already Vir."

I shook my head, standing myself. "You're fucking insane."

"I'll do what I have to."

"Don't do it Z." I warned.

He cracked a smile. "Are you going to stop me?"

"Yes." I said simply. His smile wavered slightly. "I can stop you, you know I can."

"You can't beat me." Azure said. His voice had an edge to it. The edge it always had when he faced an enemy. "Don't try Vir."

"Will you kill me?"

His jaw clenched, along with his hands. "Of course not."

"Then," I stepped around the table, making direct eye contact. "Don't threaten me."

"You'll know when I'm threatening you." I blinked, because honestly that still sounded like a threat. Azure seemed to know that because he groaned and rubbed his face. "Let's take a day, and come back to this."

I nodded. "Fine." I turned and walked to the door but stopped. "But nothing will change."

"I know."

* * *

Okay now there's some context that needs to be filled in before we continue. Junior was elsewhere plotting while Azure and I were arguing. Now this can't be a first hand account, because I wasn't there. But I know basically what went down. So I'll do my best to craft an engaging retelling of what went down. It's absolutely necessary for your understanding of what goes down at the end.

See Junior ran away, and found the worst thing he could. A taco shop. That's right, he went to the dregs of eatery's! I would feel bad for him, but since he had worse things coming, I don't. And neither should you.

Either way, the reason he'd gone there was to interact with the one and only Damian Dusk. He was Noir's replacement for Azure. Azure liked to say that Damian was never as good. I've always wondered about that. After all, Azure did fail to stop Noir while Damian was around.

As for what Damian had been up to, I can only speculate. If you go back through, there's lots of reports of a man killing for hire. And unlike our dear morally grey Azure, this guy kills whomever he's told. I guess we could really talk about morally corrupt with him. But to the point, this is approximately how they're conversation went. I'd like to think I have a good grasp of how they talk. I'll fill in their movements to make for a more engaging reading process. You're welcome, I know I'm the best.

"A taco shop?" Junior grunted, sitting at the table. "Couldn't come up with somewhere better?"

Damian sprinkled cheese on top of the taco, a dead look in his eye. "I like tacos."

"Yes, but they're rather… bad."

"They're bad like you're fucking ass. Why are you fucking here Junior, don't you usually sell my services?"

Junior nodded, and pulled a menu towards him. "Normally, but I need help."

"God damn it, with who?" Damian asked.

"Wow this menu is absolutely garbage!" Junior said, then jerked his head up straight. "I mean, Azure Požar and Viridian Blaine."

Damian sat straighter in his seat. "That's an expensive fucking job."

"I thought you'd say that, I brought fifty thousand." Junior grunted.

I know the amounts bartarded because I know the taco guy. I like knowing people, it helps keep track of things. And also why I knew this was coming back in the day.

"Fifty, are you goddamn insane? You do realize who you're asking me to kill?" Damian asked. This guys language needs work. I'm pretty sure every other word is a curse word.

"Look Damian, it benefits everyone if they're dead!" Junior said. And he's got a good point. It would've benefited a lot of people if either of us dead, let alone both of us.

Damian took a massive bite of his taco, and sat chewing as he stared at the Junior. After what I could only imagined as too many painful seconds, he swallowed. "Don't do nothin' you're good at without some money."

"And fifty thousand isn't some money?" Junior asked, his voice incredulous.

"Hey, maybe you can do it yourself… Oh wait, no you fucking can't."

Junior growled, and slammed his fists down. "Fine, I can afford another ten thousand."

"And three quarters up front." Damian said. Junior clenched his jaw and nodded. "Anyway you want it done?"

"I… is there a special way you do it?"

Damian shrugged, standing from the table. "I always like to say that no one makes it out of life alive."

"How lovely." Junior said, his voice dry.

"Yeah well, pay the fucking bill." Damian grunted. "I have my water aerobics class."

And with that, you have all the info you need. Wasn't it so much better than just me narrating that too you? I would say so. After all I'm the most fantastic narrator ever.

* * *

Now we take our story back to its two leads. Azure Požar and yours truly. He and are still working through some serious issues. And by serious issues I mean, at each other's throats. But we'd moved to more of an indirect way: ignoring each other. Azure has locked himself in his basement, and I'd stuck to my room. In fact, other than food, the call from the taco shop was the only thing that got me out of my room.

I'd gotten the call about the scene between Junior and Damian, and knew immediately that Azure and I needed to stop being hormonal teens. So I'd left my room, and headed down to the door to his basement.

"Azure, we need to talk." I shouted, banging on the door.

"Righto I'll be right out." He called. I waited, and thirty seconds ticked by, then a minute, then two, and I banged my fists against the door again.

"Anytime soon, or will I have to talk to your secretary and schedule an appointment!" I hollered.

"That would actually be perfect," he said, I can hear the smirk in his voice.

I punched the door. "This is important."

"Fine!" And a second later the door swings open. Azure was sitting behind a set of computers on one side. On the other side of the room was a work space with a row of weapons, several things were currently in construction. "What is it?"

I frowned as I entered. "What're you making?"

"Expanding the old arsenal, gotta be ready for anything." He said. Azure said it in such a way that made it sound normal for someone to have about ten different weapons. "I asked you a question though."

"Oh right. I just got a call. Junior hired Damian Dusk to work for him."

"Spiffy." Azure responded simply, and went back to typing on the keyboard.

I blinked, entirely shocked by his apparent lack of caring. "Uh, excuse me, but we've been marked for death, can you get your ass out of the chair!"

"Vir Damian isn't a big deal."

"Okay, well I'll let you handle him then."

Azure stopped typing and pushed his chair away. "That's your answer to everything isn't it?"

"What is?" I asked.

"When something hard comes up, have me do it, instead of fighting your own battles!"

"I'm an adult Z, I can fight my own battles just fine."

He jabbed a finger at me. "Then you take Damian!"

"That's not how this works!" I shouted, throwing my hands in the air. "You fight the fighters, I do the rest!"

Azure tilted his head. "You like bossing me around."

"No Z, but that's how it works, you're a better fighter than me."

I could see it in my face he wouldn't argue with that. Something inside him was bothering him though. Wordlessly he stalked his way over to the work table and grabbed a thin sword. He examined it, and after a moment sighed, dropping it back to the table. "I want more than this life Vir."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want to be the hidden hero, I want to be the hero."

I chuckled slightly. "You always have."

"I became infamous for being the Dragon. I just want to wipe that clear."

"You do that by not killing." I said. The look on his face wasn't one of satisfaction. Actually it was the exact opposite.

"Don't start with me, Damian has been a thorn in my side for too long, and has killed too many people."

I walk to the table, resting my hand on it. "Then arrest him."

"I broke out at fourteen from one of Atlases most advanced prisons, and you've broken out of how many prisons? Do you honestly think prison can hold these people?"

I clenched my jaw. He's right of course. I'm not sure what to even say to that. How do you argue with something like that. All I know is that killing is wrong. It's just not the solution. "Maybe it can't, but it's better than murder."

"Better for who?" Azure asked. And again, he brings up a solid point. Is it better for me, or for the people I'm trying to help. Azure has had amazing success over the years. Apparently he saw my conflict, because he stepped around the table to me. "Are we ready to follow my lead?"

I don't have an argument. I'm not sure what else there is to do. I raised my head, and locked eyes with him. "Yes."

* * *

Azure and I spent the next two days plotting and searching. I put out a stream of calls, and in the end, we came up with what we imagined as a solid plan. There was couple countermeasures, in case something went wrong. But since nothing would, there was no point in focusing on them too much. In fact, feeling so confident in our plan, we enacted it the first second we could.

Which is why I was standing on the end of a wharf at three in the morning. The water ripples below me, the waves crashed gently. The beaches were clear and perfect, since no one had been by to disturb the sand in several hours. The ocean expanded so far, you couldn't see anything on the horizon, even if there was light. Which was very sparse. There was a row of stalls where various items were sold along both sides of the wharf, but they were a good twenty feet away, and provided very little light at that time of night anyway. Indeed, most of the light around me came from the single charged card in my hand.

Before I'd arrived I'd put out a call to my good friend at the taco shop and told him I was meeting an informant there. Damian also used him for info on occasion (if he could get it for the right price). And with my blessing, my good friend passed the news onto Damian. Now all it took was a matter of waiting for Damian to show up and try and kill me.

"Don't you know better? Being out late is dangerous for little girls." Calls a crude voice. I lifted my card up high, and the light shone around me. The small circle illuminated Damian Dusks tiny frame. He, like Azure, was an acrobat. But Damian hadn't grown as much as Azure had, and was much smaller now. Azure was no monster either, but compared to this guy anyone was a monster. However his small statue didn't stop the look on his face from being terrifying.

"Who are you?" I called, playing dumb.

"Playing dumb Vir?" Azure whispered over the com. "It doesn't suit you."

Damian seemed to agree with Azure's assessment. Which was most unfortunate. "Don't play fucking dumb. Where's Azure hiding?"

"Well Mr. Damian, I don't know!" I said.

Damian sighed, and took a further step into the light. "I told you, don't play dumb, bitch."

"No no, I'm not," I said with a smirk. "See I very carefully had Azure not tell me where he is!"

"Well you've made my job a lot fucking easier." Damian said. Without another word he raised his gun. I flipped the card in my hand, and he fired. I couldn't tell you how it all happened, but I'd managed to throw it and dive in just the right way, that everything exploded. The wharf shook, and planks fell into the water below. Most of all though, everything went dark.

I spun to my knees, the thud of feet against the planks the only sound that could beat the crashing of the waves. I zip a card from an inner pocket, charging it as I drew it. The thudding grew louder, and thew it, only have charged. The small light temporarily lighting my attacker, before blowing up in front of him, and sending him crashing against the wharf. The wood creaked heavily, and I scampered to the opposite edge before he could recover.

"You fucking smart ass!" Damian shouted. I wordlessly reached into my pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. "You think you're so smart! Well guys what, I have night vision goggles! You really think I'm going to do a fucking night mission without them."

I chuckled, keeping my voice soft. "I was counting on it actually."

"Wait, wait what?" Damian stammered.

"Is that my cue Vir?"

"Yeah, hit it Z." The sound of surging electricity filled the air, and then, seemingly without warning several large beams of lights burst from the rooftops. The moment this happens, Damian screamed, tearing at the night vision goggles on his face.

I titled my sunglasses just a little. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Fuck you!" He bellowed, tossing them away, and grabbing at his eyes. I smirked and fanned out ten cards in hand. I charged them part way, and flipped them at Damian. They exploded in front of him, and sent him flying off the edge of the wharf and into the water below.

"That was anticlimactic, right Azure?" I asked, but I was met by silence. "Shit."

Without hesitation I sprinted away, visualizing the map of the area in my head. Knowing Azure he'd choose a place without one of the lights we set up on the tall buildings, so he'd have to be on one of the nine shorter buildings. I skidded to a stop in the center of wharf. He'd need one with a good vantage point of the very end of the wharf where I was. But he'd also want a good line of sight of everything else. I turned in a circle, sizing up each of the buildings until my eyes rest of the one selling toilet paper. It was just the right height and local to accomplish all of that.

That's when I heard a scream from inside the store. I didn't even hesitate, running inside. But the scene inside wasn't what I'd expected. It wasn't Azure who was in danger, but Junior. "What the hell? How?" I cried.

Azure looked over and smiled. "Vir, look who managed to find my hiding spot!"

I glanced at Junior. He was bleeding from his head, sweating, and was clearly frightened.

"Don't- don't kill me!" Junior cried.

"Can you believe you paid sixty thousand for someone who was defeated by some flood lights?" Azure cracked. "Not a great last act."

I swallowed, my heart was racing, and sweat poured down my back. This wasn't right. "Z, wait… I don't know if we should-"

"Oh come on, not this again!"

I opened my mouth when Azure's eyes widened and he aimed his gun at me. Time froze for a moment. For the shortest second I thought Azure was going to kill me. Then I realized he wasn't aiming at me, but past me. I dropped, and the sound of gunfire filled the small shop.

I rolled to my feet and saw Azure leave the store in a blur. Damian must've come back. Outside I hear gunfire and swords clashing. I take a few hesitant steps towards the door and see them fighting. Both wielding swords, and slashing and parrying with the best of them. Neither had the upper hand, I couldn't tell when one of them would get it.

"What are you going to do?" Junior asked from behind me. I turned and sighed.

"Turn you in of course." I grunted moving over. "Azure thinks you're going to try and become some new big bad crime lord. But we both know your just a small timer."

Junior shook his head. "Not if I can get what I want."

I stopped, hesitation. "What do you mean?"

"There's rumors, of a kid, the grandson of-"

"Stop talking." I snapped.

Junior turned and his eyes widened. "You know."

"Shut up okay, I gotta call the police." With that I turned slightly and pulled my scroll from my pocket, sending an alert to local authorities. They'd be here soon.

A massive crash sounded above us, and Junior and I exchanged nervous looks. Then without warning, there was a bigger crash and Damian fell through the ceiling. He rolled over, I could see for the briefest of moments how red his eyes were, but then he disappeared. Azure jumped down from above, his gun drawn, and the blade extended from it.

"Where'd he go?" Azure snapped, looking around at the rows of toilet paper now all over the floor.

"I… I don't know." I muttered. I turned in a small circle, but I didn't see him anywhere.

Azure cursed, and retracted his blade into his gun. He stepped gingerly over the toilet paper and leered down at Junior. "Right then, where…." Azure petered out, the sound of sirens filled the night air now. "You didn't."

"I did!" I shouted.

"I thought we'd agreed, my way was the only way!"

I shook my head, and took a step away. "I thought I could do it, but it's cold blooded. Horrible."

"That's why you let me do it Viridian!"

Before I could answer the authorities came pouring into the small room. We separated slightly, and the next hour was a blur. I stayed out of it mostly, but I could see Azure talking to various officials. He was the one who explained about Damian, who turned over Junior, who took credit for the capture. It was how it needed to be. I needed to stay out of the public eye, and Azure was tired of hiding. At the end of it all, Azure needed to be the one the people knew, because he could help them better than I could. Even if he did need a moral compass.

At the end, when all of the authorities were leaving, I found myself yet again at the end of the port. I heard footsteps and turned to see Azure walking towards me.

"I'm leaving." Azure said. This caught me off guard, and I swallowed hard.

"To where?"

He seemed to consider for a moment. "Atlas, there's something there I need to do."

"What is it?"

"You wouldn't understand, or want to go. It's in the deepest mountains." Azure told me, he'd shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I… so when are you coming back?"

"Here?" Azure asked and I nodded. He rubbed his neck and eventually just shrugged. "I'm not sure. I may never be back."

"So you're leaving me?" I asked, my feet had gone numb.

"I- I guess so." Azure said. His voice was quite. But I could tell he wasn't going to change his mind. I didn't say anything, instead I turned back to the water, and watched it ripple and flow. "Maybe I'll see you somewhere."

"If you keep leaving Azure, you won't have that life you want." I muttered. This seemed to stop him for a minute. The silence seemed to hold its breath. Then the creak of the wood, told me he'd walked away.

I was cold, the night air only partially to blame. This world wasn't a fair one. I'd known that for a long time. But occasionally something comes along that makes it a little bit better. For a time at least. I turned, and could just make out his retreating back.

I wonder when that next something will come along.


End file.
